Martin Luther King, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” draws from the thought of Thomas Aquinas in saying “an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority, and the segregated a false sense of inferiority....” Can you think of other laws or government policies which, in the same spirit, degrade human personality and are therefore unjust?
Can anyone give me a few examples?
Are you limited to the United States? Can you consider state laws?
How about laws that deal with gender, age or ethnic/religious groups?
Certainly! Laws or government policies that degrade human personality and can be considered unjust are those that promote discrimination, inequality, and violation of human rights. Here are a few examples:
1. Racial segregation: Segregating individuals based on their race or ethnicity not only deprives them of equal opportunities and resources but also perpetuates a sense of superiority among the discriminators and inferiority among the discriminated.
2. Gender inequality: Laws or policies that discriminate against individuals based on their gender, such as denying them equal access to education, employment, or political participation, degrade human personality by suppressing their potential and reinforcing harmful stereotypes.
3. LGBTQ+ discrimination: Laws that restrict the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ individuals, such as criminalizing their relationships or denying them legal recognition, degrade their personality by encouraging societal stigma and marginalization, leading to psychological and emotional harm.
4. Inhumane treatment of prisoners: Policies that endorse cruel or degrading treatment of prisoners, such as torture, solitary confinement, or denial of basic necessities, violate human dignity and degrade their personality, contrary to principles of rehabilitation and justice.
5. Denial of basic needs or services: Laws or government policies that deny access to essential needs like food, clean water, shelter, healthcare, or education disproportionately impact marginalized communities, perpetuating cycles of poverty and undermining human dignity.
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, as there can be numerous examples where laws or policies may undermine or degrade human personality, well-being, and fundamental rights.